Sydney Harbour Federation Trust – Liberal and National Party Selling New South Wales.

Why are the principles of crown land management being so blatantly ignored, not just by negligence but by outright illegality in breach of the Crown Lands Act? Why is this condoned not only in regard to developers, but by councils as failed trustees, by the NSW Crown Lands Department who has failed administration system, and in the last decade by Public Servants employed to uphold the law, but Ministerial manipulations and rorts.

Why is the sale of land to private owners started by the Federal Labor Party been allowed to continue under a Federal Liberal National Party Government? Mr Bailey CEO of the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust was quoted as saying that Crown Land is owned by the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust …WRONG …it is owned by the people of Australia.

Before the New South Wales State and Federal election-

The Member for Warringah, the Hon. Tony Abbott, responded on this issue: – “I have been extremely concerned about this issue ever since the former Labor Government announced the military’s plans to leave in answer to a Parliamentary Question on Notice from me in May 1995. Since then, I have organized a number of protest meetings and campaigned strongly to ensure that this priceless piece of our heritage is not squandered to the everlasting loss of the people of Sydney and Australia.”

A response from Joe Hockey, the Member for North Sydney stated: ‐“The sheer volume of correspondence I have received on this issue indicates that while the community respects the need for the Department of Defence to occupy prime land for strategic purposes, this need does not encompass a right to pass title to this land into the hands of private interests. Significantly, the views of the local community also reflect a general desire to promote intergenerational equity when it comes to our environment. The request that the lands do not fall victim to private concerns is not motivated by jealousy on the part of local residents.”

Seriously, what has changed, why have these men, who are now leaders of Australia gone against everything that they said and now is advocating the sale of Crown Land. The story appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald.

But they are not selling it to Australians, they are selling it to overseas investors, not small parts of the state, but large pieces of important land that was put aside for the future use of our citizens.

The White Paper on Crown Land Management which has been shelved until after the election sought to water down the laws so that large items like Jenolan Caves could be sold. A member of the Crown Land Our Land has written to the Premier and the Minister, from the Central Coast she expressed her frustration in the political deals and corruption in that area. Some of what she wrote is quoted here.

“The Premier needs to know what voters are concerned about up here. The last Liberal member standing up here , Chris Holstein, has a record of ignoring not one but two 10,000 plus signatures on Parliamentary petitions regarding the Developer- friendly takeover of public school and Crown Land sites on Gosford Waterfront for private development under Minister Brad Hazzard , calling the signatories A “vocal minority” and even” bananas”.

The latest takeover has been under Mike Baird’s watch, at the Broadwater, (part of the State declared SSS), with a site reserved for Public Recreation W2 entirely given over to a developer, with the support of CCRDC and the approval of your Minister for Lands – and with as yet absolutely NO opportunity for community input at all into the approval to thus illegally alienate Crown Land without a Plan of Management being prepared for the Minister which would assess the impact of the extension of use on the original purpose for which the land was reserved.

When this is pointed out directly, attempts to cover up are all we get. I have had a letter from Minister for Lands reassuring me they are working closely with GCC to ensure things are done correctly. But they haven’t been, and he has already given his approval. Can illegal processes be smoothed over by collaboration?”

And more “Unless these issues are recognised, and responded to by the current government, selecting Liberal candidates for the next State elections will be a waste of time, however strategic it may seem at the moment. Political parties for too long have placed too much faith in their power to use the media to persuade and dissemble. Performance and delivery of service, after listening to the constituency, is what is needed.”

It is a sorry state of affairs when ordinary people spend endless time and energy to contact their elected representatives only to be ignored or brushed aside referring it to the “minister” or the department hoping they have brushed the community aside. We afraid that it will not happen this time, the community have rallied, they are communicating with each other, supporting each other and using social media to get the problem out there. Only action will satisfy, Premier Baird, only action.